第 15 节
作者:连过十一人      更新:2021-02-27 01:34      字数:9322
  forget to clutch his boar…spear as he rises to his legs again; since rescue
  cannot   be   nobly  purchased   save by  victory。'31'  Let   him  again bring   the
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  weapon to bear in the same fashion; and make a lunge at a point within the
  shoulder…blade;   where   lies   the   throat;'32'   and   planting   his   body   firmly
  press with all his force。'33' The boar; by dint of his might and battle rage;
  will    still  push   on;   and   were    it  not   that  the   teeth   of  the   lance…blade
  hindered;'34' would push his way up to the holder of the boar…spear even
  though the shaft run right through him。'35'
  '31' 〃Safety can only be won with honour by some   master…stroke of
  victory。〃
  '32' {sphage}。 Aristot。 〃H。 A。〃 i。 14。 2。 〃Straight at the jugular。〃
  '33' Or; 〃throwing his whole weight on the thrust; press home with all
  his force。〃
  '34'   Or;   〃but   for   the   intervention   of   the   two   projecting   teeth   of   the
  lance…blade。〃       See   the   account     of   the  passage     of   arms    between     Col。
  Pollock      and   a  boar    in  his   〃Incidents     of  Foreign     Sport    and   Travel。〃
  There the man was mounted; but alone。
  '35' Lit。 〃force his heavy bulk along the shaft right up to the holder
  of the boar…spear。〃
  Nay;   so   tremendous   is   the   animal's   power;   that   a   property   which   no
  one ever would suspect belongs to him。 Lay a few hairs upon the tusk of a
  boar just dead; and they will shrivel up instantly;'36' so hot are they; these
  tusks。 Nay; while the creature is living; under fierce excitement they will
  be all aglow; or else how comes it that though he fail to gore the dogs; yet
  at   the   blow     the   fine   hairs   of  their   coats    are   singed    in   flecks   and
  patches?'37'
  '36' {euthus}; i。e。 〃for a few seconds after death。〃
  '37' The belief is still current; I am told; in parts of India。
  So much and even greater trouble may be loked for from the wild boar
  before capture; I speak of the male animal。 If it should be a sow that falls
  into the toils; the huntsman should run up and prod her; taking care not to
  be   pushed   off   his   legs   and   fall;   in   which   case   he   cannot   escape   being
  trampled on and bitten。 Ergo; he will not voluntarily get under those feet;
  but if involuntarily he should come to such a pass; the same means'38' of
  helping each the other to get up again will serve; as in the case of the male
  animal;   and   when   he   has   regained   his   legs;   he   must   ply   the   boar…spear
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  vigorously till she too has died the death。
  '38' {dianastaseis}; 〃the same methods of mutual recovery。〃
  Wild pigs may be captured further in the following fashion: The nets
  are fixed   for them  at   the   entrances of   woody  glens;'39'  in   coppices   and
  hollows; and on screes; where there are outlets into rank meadow… lands;
  marshes; and clear pools。'40' The appointed person mounts guard at the
  nets with his boar…spear; while the others work the dogs; exploring the best
  and likeliest spots。 As soon as the quarry is found the chase commences。 If
  then an animal falls into the net; the net… keeper will grip his boar…spear
  and'41' advance; when he will ply it as I have described; if he escape the
  net;   then   after   him   full   cry。   In   hot;   sultry   weather   the   boar   may   be   run
  down   by   the   hounds   and   captured。   Though   a   monster   in   strength;   the
  creature becomes short of breath and will give in from sheer exhaustion。
  '39' Al。 〃at the passages from woodland lakes into oak…coppices。〃
  '40' {udata}; 〃waters;〃 lakes; pools; rivers; etc。
  '41' Or; 〃and proceed to tackle him。〃
  It   is  a  form   of   sport   which    costs    the  lives   of  many     hounds     and
  endangers   those   of   the   huntsmen   themselves。   Supposing   that   the   animal
  has given in from exhaustion at some moment in the chase; and they are
  forced to come to close quarters;'42' whether he has taken to the water; or
  stands at bay against some craggy bank; or does not choose to come out
  from some thicket (since neither net nor anything else hinders him from
  bearing     down     like   a  tornado    on   whoever      approaches);      still;  even   so;
  advance   they  must;   come   what   come   may;   to   the   attack。 And   now   for   a
  display of that hardihood which first induced them to indulge a passion not
  fit for carpet knights'43'in other words; they must ply their boar…spears
  and   assume   that   poise   of   body'44'   already   described;   since   if   one   must
  meet misfortune; let it not be for want of observing the best rules。'45'
  '42'   Reading      {prosienai}   '{ta   probolia}'。   'The   last   two   words   are
  probably       a  gloss;    and    should    be    omitted;     since   {prosienai}      (from
  {prosiemi})   {ta   probolia}   =   〃ply;〃   or   〃apply   their   boar…spears;〃              is
  hardly Greek。' See Schneid。 〃Add。 et Corr。〃 and L。 Dind。 ad                          loc。
  '43' {ekponein}; 〃to exercise this passion to the full。〃
  '44'    Lit。   〃assume      their  boar…spears      and    that  forward      attitude   of
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  body。〃
  '45' Lit。 〃it will not be at any rate from behaving correctly。〃
  Foot…traps are also set for the wild boar; similar to those for deer and
  in the same sort of places; the same inspections and methods of pursuit are
  needed;   with   consequent   attacks   and   an   appeal   to   the  boar…   spear   in   the
  end。
  Any  attempt   to   capture   the   young   pigs   will   cost   the   huntsman   some
  rough work。'46' The young are not left alone; as long as they are small;
  and when the hounds have hit upon them or they get wind of something
  wrong; they will disappear like magic; vanishing into the forest。 As a rule;
  both   parents   attend   on   their   own   progeny;   and   are   not   pleasant   then   to
  meddle   with;   being   more   disposed   to   do   battle   for   their   young   than   for
  themselves。
  '46'     Lit。    〃the    piglings     will    resent    it   (sc。   {to    aliskesthai})
  strongly〃;      al。   〃the    adult    (sub。   {to    therion})     will    stand    anything
  rather。〃
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  XI
  Lions; leopards; lynxes; panthers; bears and all other such game are to
  be    captured     in   foreign    countriesabout       Mount      Pangaeus      and    Cittus
  beyond   Macedonia;'1'   or   again;   in   Nysa   beyond   Syria;   and   upon   other
  mountains suited to the breeding of large game。
  '1'   Of   these   places;   Mt。   Pangaeus   (mod。   Pirnari)   (see   〃Hell。〃   V。   ii。
  17);     Cittus    (s。  Cissus;    mod。     Khortiatzi);     N。    W。   of   the   Chalcidice;
  Mysian       Olympus;      and    Pindus     are   well    known。     Nysa     has   not   been
  verified hitherto; I think。 Sturz cf。 Bochart; 〃Hieroz。〃 Part I。                     lib。 iii。 c。
  1;   p。   722。   Strabo;   637   (xv。   1。   7);   mentions   a   Mount       Nysa   in   India
  sacred to Dionysus; and cites Soph。 〃Frag。〃 782
  {othen      kateidon     ton  bebakkhiomenen          brotoisi    kleinon    Nusan     。  。  。
  k。t。l。};
  but it is a far cry from Xenophon's Syria to India。 Possibly it is
  to be sought for in the region of Mt。 Amanus。
  In   the   mountains;   owing   to   the   difficulty   of   the   ground;'2'   some   of
  these animals   are captured by  means   of poisonthe drug   aconitewhich
  the    hunters    throw    down     for   them;'3'    taking    care   to   mix   it  with    the
  favourite food of the wild best; near pools and drinking…places or wherever
  else they are likely to pay visits。 Others of them; as they descend into the
  plains   at   night;   may   be   cut   off   by   parties   mounted   upon   horseback   and
  well armed; and so captured; but not without causing considerable danger
  to their captors。'4'
  '2' Or; 〃the inaccessibility of their habitats。〃
  '3'   〃The   method   is   for  the   trapper   to   throw   it   down   mixed   with   the
  food which the particular creature likes best。〃
  '4' For the poison method see Pollux; v。 82; Plin。 〃H。 N。〃 viii。 27。
  In   some   cases   the   custo